Oakland High School Security Guard Charged With Felony Abuse

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Oakland High School security guard has been fired and charged with felony child abuse after officials said he handcuffed, punched and then dumped a disabled student from his wheelchair in a class hallway.

A security guard was caught repeatedly hitting a student at an Oakland High School on surveillance video on May 19, 2014. (Credit: Oakland Unified School District)

The incident, partially captured by video surveillance cameras, occurred about 9 a.m. May 19 as Marchell Mitchell, 23, and another guard were urging students to clear out of hallways and get to class, officials said Thursday.

According to a statement from school Principal Matin Abdel-Qawi, the wheelchair-bound student was either slow to move or just refused to leave the hallway, prompting Mitchell to begin pushing the chair to class.

That’s when the student — who, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, has cerebral palsy — tried slapping away the officer’s hands. Mitchell then apparently handcuffed the boy and continued to roll him to class, Abdel-Qawi said.